Train-control system



H. ROWNTREE.

TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, Isls.

Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

um @N THE coLuMBIA PLANQGRAPH co,. WASHINGTON, n. c.

H. ROWNTREE.

TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.

- Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1918- 90 wel" /f'azZ Sae "III

rlllz COLUMnlA PLANOGRAPII Co.. WASHINGTONy vD. c.

UNITED y s'rA'rEs PATENT oEEic.

HAROLD ROWN TREE, OF KENILWOR-TI-I, ILLINOIS, ASISIGNOR T0 NATIONAL 'PNEU MATIC COMPANY, OFv NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F WEST VIRGINIA;

TRAIN-CONTROL sYsTEM. y

lspeeifieatifm ef Letters Paieiii. 'Patented July 29, 1919 originen appiieaiien inea August s, 1917, serial No. 1s4,211.-1Diviaea and this application filed March a5,l

. 191s. serial No. 224,416.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD RowNTnEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Train-Control Systems, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to train control systems, and `is particularly applicable Vto elevated and subway systems, and -is directed to subject matter divided from my co-pending application, Serial No. 184,211, tiled August 3, 1917. f

The object of the invention is to provide a new and useful train control system which is designed to relieve congestion of the passengers, and to afford a more efficient and economical system for the purpose of carrying passengers from one locality to another.

Another object of the4 invention is to pro vide new and useful details of construction and arrangement pertaining tonew method of train control.`

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic train control system eiiicient for the Vpurposes required, and

which may be operated at a saving of cost V`0f maintenance over the system at present employed.

Further objects of the invention will appear morefully hereinafter. Y

The invention consists substantially in the method of operation and in the construction,

combination, location and relative arrangement of parts employed in accordance therewith, all as will be more fully `hereinafter set forth as shown by the accompanying drawings and nally pointedl out in the appended claims. 1

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a' diagrammatic plan view of a repair station of a system embodying my invention. y

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in front elevation of one end ofthe repair station.

Fig. Bis ahorizontal sectional view ofthe ends of two cars employed in accordance with my invention. l

t Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, partly inl section, of the buffer or coupling mechawere suiiicient to meet the requirements of 'i affording space and capacity for carrying passengers. As traflic has increased we have increased ythe length of our trains, but we have still maintained the old idea of .operating separate and segregated trains with necessary safety intervals between them. In .all cases the train is controlled by a motorman or engineer at the front end of the train who has control ofthe traction power and of the braking power of the entire train. Sometimes the' traction power is only employed on the front car or engine, and sometimes it is employed on every car of the train, butin all cars it is controlled by the engineer or motorman at the front of `the train. In all cases a considerable interval has tobe kept between trains in order that a train can always be' stopped before crashing into the train ahead irrespective of its speed at thetime the brakes are applied. It is obvious, of course, that the greater the speed of a foilowing train thegreater the distance allowance that must be made within which the train can stop.

As traffic conditions have increased the length of the individual trains has steadily .increased in order to accommodate more passengers, and the speed of the trains has been steadily increased so as to handle more passengers per hour.

single line by the present method of individual trains, and there are indications that this limit has already been reached, or nearly reached on certain congested elevated and subway systems. lit is manifestly true that the faster the trains are operated the longer must be the safety distance between them, as above set forth, so that a point is reached where the gain in speed is offset by the fewer. trains per mile, and no further yincrease in the number of passengers carried per hour can be obtained byV any further increase in speed.

Againthe length of the train is limited by the power of the engine that draws the train, and for this type of train the limit has already been reached and passed, and two engines are frequently employed to draw fthe longer individual trains, and as the control of the two engines is entirely independent, such use of double headers of neces sity increases the liability of accident.

Of course where traction is employed on every car of the train controlled by one man, this particular obstacle to a further increase of the length of lindividual trains does not exist, but other equally serious obstacles are encountered.

In the first place there is a limit to the length of trains that can be made up in the terminal yards. Even if this obstacle were eliminated, there are obstacles that are met in practical operation that increasing the length of the train beyond a certain limit does not lessen or remove. There is frequently a limit of the length to which the station platforms can be extended, a limit governed not only by the lack of space for such extensions, but a limit inherent in the use of individual stations. Passengers in many cases will not spread themselves along the length of a long platform but will congregate near the point where they enter the station, with the result that certain cars become so crowded that the train is seriously delayed while the guards are endeavoring to get the doors shut. So long as individual trains are employed, individual stations must be used, and therefore a limit to the practicable length of the individual station means a limit to the practicable length of the individual train.

For these reasons the present method of using individual trains seems to be vapproaching the limit of practicable usefulness, and my invention is designed to so control a system of endless trains or a continuous circle of cars that a very much higher total number of passengers per hour can be carried on a single line with perhaps even less possibility of accident than under the present system. It is true of course that the idea. of utilizing endless trains, or mov ing sidewalks is not new, and that many ideas have been evolved in the attempt to make `them of some practical use, but to the best of my knowledge no permanent practical use has been made of the moving plat form idea because if operated at a slow speed its. capacity is small, and if operated at a. high speed the probabilities of accident to passengers istoo evident.

ln my invention l propose to use an endless` circle of train or cars, operating at a high rate of speed for a certain speci-fied distance, then slowingdown and-stopping for the admittance and discharge of passengers, and then again resuming its high rate of speed. If these cars were operated at the same speed for example that the cars of the New York subway are operated, with the Isame length of stopping time, then it is manifest that they would transport. several times as many passengers per hour as the entire track would be filled with cars, instead of only a comparatively small portion of the tracks being in use at any one instant of time.

To accomplish this result, however, many Aradical departures are necessary from the devices and arrangements heretofore in use and my invention consists in the conception of devices and arrangements for accomplishing these results.

l will first describe the dilficulties that would have to be overcome, and then describe in detail the devices and arrangements I have designed for accomplishing them.

In the first instance, some means must be devised for allowing for the slight'variations that might occur 'in' the totalflength of the train, due to the different relative positions occupied by the cars in passing around curves. Means must also be devised for automatically regulating the total length of the train, as determined by the number of'cars composing it, so that it harmonizes with the total length of the endless track on which it operates.

Means must be devised for taking a defective car out of the train, and replacing it with a perfect car. There are many kinds 'of trouble that may appearin the car mechanisim and that may incapacitate the car from being used until 1t is corrected. It

would be fatal to the successful operation y of the system if the entire endless train had to be shut down while the mechanism on any -one car was being repaired. It would be almost equally fatal if any material vamo-'unt of time should be consumed in replacing the defective car with a new one, and therefore it is absolutely essential to the successful operation of an endless train that means should be devised for replacing defective cars in the very shortest possible time, and this means also that all questions pertaining 35 not. closed so that theirisignal switches'have tothe ways 'in iwhich the cars are attached together, and to the way in which, and vthe eXtent to which, couplings for air or electric connections are used, must be considered in their relation to the time consumed in replacing defective cars.

Itis manifest `that -means would have to be employed toA assure Vall the doors of all cars being `closed before the train started, and such means are `in use today on many roads lbutaddi-tional means must be devised if the .endless train isto operateon short Ytime stops, and yet operate with safety.

The longer thetrain, the greater Vnumber of cars in the train, and the greater the number of doors that are opened and closed at each stop, and as'the endless train might easilybe ten or `twelve miles long, -or even longer, we wouldhave perhaps one thousand cars'and perhaps three thousanddoors on the operating side of the entire trai-n. The longest individual train ontliesubway today has about thirty doors onthe operating side, and weare proposing to increase this perhaps one hundred fold.

"This -tremendously increases the probability of some one ofthe manyguards being dilatory in getting his doors closed.` It also tremendously increases the `probability of some one of the many door switches being defective or failing to operate properly, and so tying up the starting of the train.

It is necessary therefore, to devise means whereby a signal will be given to the guard onany car when all .the doors on that car are properly operated, as soon as most of the cars'have had their doors closed.` In other words when all the cars except a few have their doors closed, then a hurry-up signal must be given on those cars with a door still open, in order to hasten .the action of the guard, and the hurry-up signal should be automatically stopped the moment the doors on that car are all closed. Also it is essential in the event that the hurry-up signal continues to operate after the doors' are apparently closed, thereby showing that some part of the doorsignaling system has failed to function, that the guard can operate a reserve switch on `the car which will instantly place the safety-signaling systems of the train in the condition it would occupy if the door switch system on that car had not failed, and the hurry-up signalmust cease the moment such reserve switch is operated.

By properly devised mechanismp for accomplishing these results the stopping time of an .endless train of one thousand cars need not be any longer than-the stopping time of -'tficable arrangementfwhereby passengers will not be apt to vcongregate at certain congested points, and whereby passengers alighting froman express endless train can always be at the right point to board a local endless train. l

I will now proceed t0 point out and describe t'he devices and arrangements I have devised for accomplishing these results.

The cars 2 composing these endless trains can be of any size or shape or construction desired but I am making a radical departure from the present universal method of coupling vthe carstogether. Under my inventi-on Athe cars Vare not coupled together at all but are simply butted one against the other, each car being equipped at each end with a spring buffer 1 as shown in Figs. l to ll. 33a and 35 represent the two ends of adjacent cars with their respective buffers 36 and 37. These buffers are preferably curved so as to facilitate the cars passing around curves and the buffers are held in a forward position by springs as shown at 38, the forward movement of the spring and buffer being limited by stops 39 as shown. The tendency, therefore, of these spring buffers would be to press tightly against each other and to take up any lost motion between the cars. The buffers of course can be held out by compressed air or any other suitable means but for simplicity of operation I prefer the springs.

Vhen it is remembered that we have been figuring on` a train of perhaps 1,000 cars long, then if the buffer at each end of each car were depressed oneshalf inch, making a total of one inch for each car it would make a diference in the whole train of 1,0 00I inches or over eighty feet which would be as great, or greater than, the length of an individual car so that a very slight variation in all the bulers would very easily cause the cars to take up any lost motion and to fit accurately in thetotal length of the endless track and any slight variation, if any, made by the cars that .are actually rounding a curve would be taken up by a very slight variation in the buffers of the large number of cars that were operating in a straight line at that time. i

I propose tov furnish the power and control for the power respectively through two separate third rails which I am calling respectively the power rail and the control rail. These rails are not shown on the drawings as they are of the ordinary type and construction or of any desired type and construction. Electrical connection from these rails to each car is made through the ordinary shoes which travel on the rails and which are connected by electrical connections to the desired mechanism on the cars `as hereinafter described; also each car is equipped with its own individual a-ircompresser, tank, etc., so that there would be no need for any connection, either electric or pneumatic, between the ends of adjacent cars, andthe individual cars would be entirely independent of each other, merely buttiug against each other with their respective vspring buffers, 36, 37.

This construction is of special importance in view of the necessity of being able to very promptly change a disabled car for a new car when the necessity arises. The details ofthe mechanism employed for effecting this change are shown in Fig; 1.

In F ig. 1, 2 represents a view of the individual cars of the train operating on the .track which is shown in dotted lines. 3l

represents an endless stationary platform in'miediately adjacent to the path of travel of the carsv so that whenever the cars stop the passengers can immediately alight on to the platform 31. At some convenient point, or number of pointsin the circuit of the endless track, preferably at a point in close proximity to the control station, which will be hereinafter described, and preferably also in close proximity to the repair shops, is located the transfer table 28. At this point the stationary platform 31 and the endless track are cut away along the lines 42-43 to a depth quite a little be? low the level of the endless tracks and a pair i of transverse tracks 29 and 30 are placedin this aperture on which the transfer `table 28 operates, sliding backward and forward along the rails 29 and 30 on. its rollers or wheels as shown. rlhis transfer' table 28 A carriestwo sets of tracks 44 and 45 and two sets of platfo-rms 32 and 33 and they are so located that when the transfer table 28 is at one limit of its movement track 44 is exactly in line with the endless track and platform 32 is eXactlyin line with the stationary platform 31 and track 45 is in line with the secondary track Y 26 which runs oil" toward the repair shops. When the transfer table 28 is moved to the other extreme of its position Y then track 45 is brought into accurate alinement with the endless track and platform 33 is brought into alinement with the stationary platform 31 while track 44 is brought into alinement with the secondary track 27 which also runs off to the repair shops, per haps passing under or over the endless track in order to reach the same shops as are reached by track 26.

The transfer table 28 will be operated from one eXtreme to the other 4by motor with suitable control and suitable automatic limit stops. I have not described or shown this motor as manifestly many types of motors now on the market will be suitable forV this work, as for'eXample any one of the many types of electric orpneumatic mechanisms with limit stops and suitable control as shown and described in various patents that have been issued to me in the past. 4

The operation of the'transfer table will be as follows:

Let ns suppose that some part of the mech* anism on car 22 has shown to be defective. Something may be wrong with the motor or its controlling mechanism or with the air brake or the brake shoes or with the door switches or with any one ofa dozen other parts of the car equipment, and it is desirable and important that the defect should be corrected. W'ord is transmitted to the train controller at the controllingzpoint as will be hereinafter described, that car 22 is to be taken out of the train. As the endless train proceeds Von its way, stopping and starting at its accustomed intervals, the train controller will slow down the train as car 22 approaches the transfer point and nally stop the train with car 22 accurately on the transfer table. Meanwhile car 25 in perfect condition, would have been brought from the car shops over track 26 and placed on the transfer table on track 45. The moment that car 22 was accurately stoppedon-track 44 the train` controller would start ythe motor that operated transfer table 28 and itmight be mentioned here that of course the control of saidmotor would be so interlocked with the control of the endless train that the motor of the transfer table 28 could not be started when the endless train was in motion in any manner well known in the art. Starting the motor of the transfer table 28 would immediately move car 22 out of alinement with the endless train and lmove car 25 into alinement with the endless train. Anytendcncy on the part of the spring buffersof the lvarious cars of the train to expand and move either'` car 21 or car 23`toward each other and so partially or entirely lill the gap between thathad been occupedby car 22 wouldbe preventedby the edges 42 and 43 of the platform 32 which during the progi ress of the transfer table 28 would pass between the ends of the adjacent cars as car 22 was leaving-them and would keep the adj acent cars the proper distance apart until car v25- had entered between them. The moment car 25 was in its proper relation in regard to the endless train the lendless train would be again started. lt seems to me reasonable to assume that this transfer complete could be made within thirty seconds, that is, within the time ordinarily consumed in the regular stoppage of the endless train.

The defective car 22 would be immedi ately shunted over secondary track 27 to the repair shops and a perfect car'immediately brought out on track 27 and placed on the transfer table on track 44, the endless train meanwhile operating over track 45 so that the transfer table would be in readiness for an instant reversal and would be ready loaded with another perfect car whenever it was again desired to change another defective car. It will be noticed also that regardless of whether track 44 or track 45 is in use for the endless train that the stationary platform 31 is always complete, either through platform 32 or platform 33 of the transfer table 28.

I will now describe the mechanism on each car, and in doing this it is not necessary to show or describe the standard mechanism that is now in use on cars of individual trains and wherein all cars are controlled .from one place. The cars will of course be n equipped with the usual motor whereby when a circuit is completed electriccontrol mechanism is put into operation to cause the motor to start and to steadily increase the speed of the motor until the desired standard maximum speed is attained and when the electrical lconnection is broken the electric controlling mechanism is operated to shut ofi' pressure from the motor and so bring the motor to rest. The car would of u course also be equipped with the usual air brakes including compressor,` tank, automatic regulator and the suitable electrically controlled valves for controlling the air brake so that when an electrical connection is made the brakes will be liberated and when the electrical connection is broken'the brakes will be applied with the maximum pressure consistent with the safety ofthe equipment and the comfort of the passengers. The mechanism by which all this is accomplished is so well known in the art that it is unnecessary to describe it here and it is only necessary for me to describe the means whereby at the proper time this electrical connection is made and broken so that making the electrical connection from the power line through the means of the power car shoe will liberate the brakes and start the motor, and breaking the electrical connection will apply the brakes and shut ofi' power from .the motor. l

In Fig. 6 I have shown a solenoid 7 which Y when energized completes the above mentioned electrical circuit and when denergized breaks the said electrical circuit. This solenoid 7 is in constant connection through a car shoe with the control rail rand the other terminal of the solenoid 7 is grounded so that whatever pressure exists in the Contact rail is at yall times transmitted to the winding of solenoid 7.

Each door'` of the car is equipped witha suitable switch as show ndiagrammatically at 8, 9 and 10 so connected to the door that the `circuit is completed when the door is fully closed and broken when the door is not fullv closed. These switches 8, 9 and 10are` in series wtih each other, one end of them being connected to the power rail through the power car shoe, and the other end being connected to one end of the windings of solenoid 11, the other end of the windings being grounded. If, therefore, all the doors on the car are properly and entirely closed solenoid 11 will be energized but'if any of the doors on that car are open solenoid 11 will not be energized. IVhen solenoid 11 is not energized it makes contact between contacts 12 and 13 but when it is energized this contact is broken. l Contact 12 is connected with the control rail through the car control shoe. Contact 13fis connected to one blade of a knife switch as shown'at 14. This knife switch is placed in convenient location to the guard on the `car for a purpose to be hereinafter described.` .Fromthe other blade of the switch 14 a connection is made through a resistance 16 `to the ground and also through an Yelectric sounder 15 to the ground,this sounder being a bell, buzzer or any other well known form of audible or visible signal, preferably audible.

.Before describing how the above mechanism operates it will be necessary to describe the control-ling mechanism of the train. This controlling mechanism is preferably situated at a controlling station situated adjacent to the endless track at some convenient Vpoint preferably close to the transfer table. In this controlling station is a control handle 46, see Fig. V5, operating around a pivot 47. This handlecarries a contact piece 48 which makes VContact with the contact strip 4 and also makes contact with the three buttons 1, 2- and 37 being so arranged that it will make contact with button 3 before it leaves button 2 or with button 2 before it leaves button 3, as indicated in dotted lines. Button 1 is a dead button. Buttons 2 and3 are connected together with resistance 5. Button 3 is connected to the control rail of the endless train; segment 4 is connected to the pressure feed.

From button 3 there is also a connection to the electrical indicator 6, the other side of this indicator being connected to the ground. This electric indicator will register the current pressure at any given time in button 3 in its connection.

I will now describe the operation of the device:

Let us suppose that handle 46 is on button 1. There will, therefore, be no current in button 3 and therefore no current in the control rail. There being no current in the controlrail solenoid 7 on each car will not be energized and the switch it controls will therefore beopen and therefore the brakes will be applied and the motor will be shut off on each car. Let us suppose that the control handle is 'moved soas to make contact with button 2, Current would immediately pass through segment 4, contact piece 41S to button 2 and through resistance 5 to the button 3 and then to the control rail and also to the meter 6 indicating the amount of current in the control rail. There would therefore be current entering the control rail through resistance 5 and leaving the control rail through each of the solenoids 7 and the resistance 5 would be so graduated that the amount of current entering the control rail through resistance 5 would be somewhat below that sufficient to energize the solenoids 7 that is with all the solenoids 7 in parallel with each other and connecting the control rail to the ground. Further, this insuliiciency of the current coming through resistance 5 to energize any of solenoids 7 must exist even if all the doors on the train are closed and therefore when all solenoids 11i-are energized and no current is passing out of the control rail through contacts 12 and 13 through the switch 111 and through the resistance 16er the sounder 15.

If all the doors, or a large number of the doors, of the train are open when handle 46 is moved to make contact with button 2 then the current passing through resistance 5 in addition to leaking out of the control rail through all the solenoids 7 will also be leaking out through all the resistances 16 and all the Sounders 15 on the cars on which any door was open, and these resistances 16 would have a suliicient carrying capacity in proportion to the resistance 5 that there would be practically no pressure in the control rail so long as any material number of cars had any doors open, and therefore so long as any material number of resistances 16 are making connection from the control rail to the ground. Therefore, if any considerable number of doors were open the meter 6 in Fig. 5 at the -control station would practically indicate zero.

As soon, however', as a large majority of the cars had all their doors closed, and therefore their solenoid 11 energized and therefore connection from the control shoe to the` resistance 16 and the sounder 15 was cut out on such cars, the current entering the control rail through resistance 5 would have less free access to the ground and would begin to build up a pressure in the control rail. Bythetime there only remained some few cars with any door open this pressure would be suiiicient to cause the sounder 15 to sound on such cars, thereby notifying the guard on each car on which such sounder was heard that his car was delaying the starting of the train. This would cause such guard to immediately redouble his efforts to get his doors all immediately closed, and the moment his sounder ceased he would know that his car was no longer delaying the train, Should, however, it possibly occur that something had gone wrong with one of the door switches or with the electrical connections or with solenoid 11 or with one of t-he door operating engines or its control (it being naturally assumed that each door would be a power-operated door controlled by the guard) and the guard found that he was unable by manipulating the door control to Cause the sounder to cease sounding then by opening the manual switch 14 he would immediately disconnect the control shoe from the resistance 16 and the sounder 15 just as though this disconnection had been made through the normal operation of solenoid 11 and the train would then be no longer delayed by this particular car. In this way, therefore, I prevent the train being unduly delayed either by the guard being dilatory or by the mechanism on the car becoming temporarily o ut of order, andJ therefore, the train could always proceed on schedule time.

It might be mentioned that it may be found advantageous to attachan electrical recorder in connection with the sounder -15 whereby a record would be automatically kept of each time the sounder had operated so that a car inspector could instantly tell by looking at the recorder how frequently that particular carhad been one of the last p ones to get -the Vdoors closed and thereby check up on the efliciency of the guard.

M The meter 6 at the controlling station which records at all Vtimes the pressure in the control rail would be steadily recording a heavier and heavier pressure asthe number of cars on which any door was open was beingfreduced and as the last car got its doors closed or its switch 14 opens which produces the same effect, and the control i p rail was free of any connection to the ground other than through the solenoids 7 the gage 6 would touch the point where it would indicate this fact to the man in charge of the control station and he would instantly move the control handle L16 to button 3 thereby putting full pressure into the control Vrai-l and so energizing all the solenoids 7 and so completing the circuit on each car that liberated the brake and started the mo tor mechanism into action.

'When he .desired to stop he would move the handle to the dead button 1, whereupon solenoids 7 would beV denergized, the motor controlwould be disconnected and Ythe brakes applied and the train stop and as soon as it was stopped he would move his control handle 46 to button 2 so as to obtain through meter 6 an accurate indication of when the doors were closed.

It will be seen therefore that I have devised; an exceedingly simple and efficient arrangement whereby an endless train of cars can be controlled softhat the vtrain can be operated rapidly and can be stopped when desired, where the many in charge of the controlling station knows when all doors of the train are closed and where the hurry-up signal is given on the cars that are last to have their doors closed and where means are provided whereby the guard at any car is enabled toplace thesystem in condition so that thef train can be operatedeven although any part of the safety' arrangement on his ca r has become damaged.

In order to getthe full benefit of a system of this type itwoufld :be necessary to depart entirely fromthe present prevalent idea of having more or less isola-ted stations a considerable distance apart, that is of hav-l ing the entrances to the platform only at far separate intervals. To obtain the greatest advantage there should be entrances from the street to the platform at very frequent intervals and it would probably be found advantageous to make such entrances from stores, hotels, etc. This would enable passengers to board the train at the nearest point that the line of travel of the train was to their starting point and they would be saved the present disagreeable feature of having to walk perhaps several blocks along the line of travel of the train before gaining access to the platform. There would also be the great advantage of preventing the passengers from over-crowding at one point which tends to delay the departure of the train by the passengers at tempting to crowd into an already filled car.

It would of course also be advisable to have an equal, or even greater, number of exits from the platform.

rlhe length of travel of the train, that is of any particular car of the train from one stopping point to the next would of course be optional with the management and would perhaps vary from a quarter of a mile on` what might be called local trains to perhaps a distance of two miles on express trains. It is evident of course that any one endless train could not make frequent stops at one portion of the circuit and less frequent stops at another portion, and the distance traveled would have to be equal at all portions. If the distance traveled by each car between stops always remains constant, it would of course be a practical convenience to the traveling public to provide signs on the platform where each car stops, indicating the street at which that particular car would next stop.

It would probably be advisable rather than make the endless trains of excessive length to adopt a system wherein there would be two or three orV more independent endless trains which would meet each other, that is at certain places they would touch on opposite sides of the same stationary platform, touching it for a length somewhat in excess of the train.

' It is obvious that very many 'different arrangements of. endless train systems might be advantageously adopted without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention as defined by lthe claims, therefore, what I claimas new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. A railway system comprising an endless chain of cars, doors for each of said cars, a control station for controlling the movements of said chain of cars, and means for indicating at said control station when all of the doors of all of the cars have been closed.

2. A railway system comprising an endless chain of cars, doors for each of said cars, a control station for controlling the movements of said chain of cars, means for indicating at said control station when all of the doors of all of the cars have been closed, and means for rendering said control station inoperative until all of the doors of the chain of cars have been closed.

3. In a train, the combination with doorways, and doors for said doorways, signals for said doors, means controlled by the closing of a predetermined number of said doors for operating the signals of the doors remaining open, a distant control station for the operation of said train, and means for indicating at the distant control station when the doors of the train have all been closed.

A. In a train, the combination with doorways, and doors for said doorways, signals for said doors, means controlled by the closing of a predetermined number of said doors for operating the signals of the doors remaining open, a distant control station for the operation of said train, and means for indicating at the distant control station the approximate number of doors that have been closed.

5. In a train of cars, the combination with doors for the cars, and a signal device in each car, of means controlled by the closing of a predetermined number of the doors of the train for operating the signal devices on the cars the doors of which remain unclosed, a distant control station for the operation of said train, and means for indicating at the distant control station when the doors of the train have all been closed.

6. In a train of cars, the combination with doors for the cars, and a signal device in each car, of means controlled by the closing of a predetermined number of the doors of the train for operating the signal devices on the cars the doors of which remain unclosed, a distant control station for the operation of said train, and means for indicating at the distant control station the approximate number of doors that have been closed.

7. In a train of cars, the combination With doors for the cars, and a signal device in each car, of means controlled by the closing of a predetermined number of the doors of the train for operating the signal devices on the cars the doors of Which remain unclosed, a distant control station for the operation of said train, means for indicating at the distant control station WhenV the doors of the train have all been closed, and means located on each car for operating the indicating means of the control station if the doors of the car are closed but no indication has been received at said control station.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand on this 21st day ci' March, A, D., 1918. Y .i

HAROLD ROWNTREE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for vecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

